Kirkland, Wolfe packs one-two punch

NEW YORK, NY, (BASN)—The best thing to have happened to James Kirkland was the day he hired former female boxing champion Ann Wolfe to be his trainer. Under Wolfe’s unique and somewhat brutal training methods, Kirkland quickly became a promising junior middleweight title contender.

In 2009, Kirkland, a convicted felon for armed robbery in 2003, was arrested for possession of an illegal firearm and was sentenced to 24months in a federal prison.

Kirkland’s promising boxing career took an unexpected tumble and his relationship with Wolfe was strained.

Kirkland launched a comeback with new trainer Kenny Adams in 2011, but in his third bout in March, Kirkland suffered a shocking first-round TKO loss to a Nobuhiro Ishida of Japan. Shortly there after, Kirkland left Adams and was reunited with Wolfe and it seems as though the fire that was missing from Kirkland’s armor had finally returned in an emphatic way.

Last Saturday, Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs), in a WBC eliminator, rose from the canvas in the first round to destroy Alfredo Angulo (20-2, 17 KOs) in the sixth round of a scheduled 12-round bout at Centro de Cancun, in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday. Kirkland-Angulo was televised live on HBO.

It was an unmerciful beating unleashed by Kirkland. It was reminiscent of the way Sugar Shane Mosley pummeled Antonio Margarito in early January 2009 to capture the WBA welterweight championship – a total beat down.Had the referee not stepped in when he did, Kirkland probably would have killed Angulo. The swelling around Angulo’s eyes and forehead was expanding rapidly.

Kirkland’s huge victory, along with the return of Ann Wolfe, has reenergized and his career.

Kirkland, since returning earlier this year, has fought six times (5-1, 5 KOs). His last eleven victories dating back to 2007 have occurred by way of knockout.

Kirkland is a threat to WBC super welterweight champion Saul Alvarez because of his relentless aggression and power. Alvarez vs.

Kirkland is “must-see TV.” However, Alvarez has a very important title defense against former IBF welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron on November 26.

Joe Frazier (1944-2011)

I wish I could say it isn’t so, but one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time has died.

The legendary Joe Frazier (1944-2011) lost his battle with liver cancer on Monday. He was 67.

Frazier is best remembered for his three legendary fights with the great Muhammad Ali. Perhaps the most memorable of the three fights was their first encounter at Madison Square Garden, on March 8, 1971. Ali-Frazier I was the first time two unbeaten heavyweights in the prime of their careers fought fort he world heavyweight championship.

Frazier dropped Ali on the canvas with his famous moneymaking left hook to the chin late in the fight. Frazier retained the unified WBC/WBA heavyweight titles, via 15-round decision.

Ali went on to beat Frazier on points in their second fight in 1974. The third and final encounter, on October 10, 1975, “Thrilla in Manila,” was one of the most brutal championship fights in heavyweight boxing history. Frazier, on the advisement of the late Eddie Futch, did not respond to the bell at the start of the fifteenth and final round. Ali was awarded a TKO victory.

Frazier, born on January 12, 1944, represented the U.S. in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan where he won a gold medal by beating out a 6′ 4,” 230-pound Russian amateur. Frazier stood only 5’11.” Frazier was the only American to have won gold.

Since turning professional in 1964, Frazier’s 11-year career included a New York State heavyweight championship and a unified WBC/WBA heavyweight title reign. Frazier competed in a dozen world heavyweight championship fights. His only four losses were to Ali (twice) and the enormous, George Foreman (twice).